Donsell

I've been a pretty avid rider the last few years. I do 150-200 miles a week during the riding season and like to do longer rides on the weekends when I can.

I currently have a Scott Sportster 55 and a Specialized Roubaix Comp which is carbon. I love both bikes, but I've found I enjoy the crushed limestone trails we have in Nebraska more than the road so I ride Scott more. But it's heavy and starting to show its age.

So I'm considering selling both and getting one of these 4 bikes:

Specialized Sirrus Expert Carbon:
$2000
Full Fact 9r carbon
cgr seatpost
Shimano 105s

Specialized Diverge Comp E5:
$1800
E5 Alloy
Carbon Fork
Alloy seat tube
Shimano Tiagra
Future Shock front suspension

Giant Anyroad CoMax:
$1850
Full composite
Shimano 104
Composite seat post

I could go up to the Diverge Sport:
$2100
Fact 9r carbon body
carbon fork
Shimano Tiagra
Alloy seat tube
Future Shock front suspension.

Assuming I can get a good price on the Roubiax, the $300 either way isn't going to break me. I haven't been able to ride the Diverge yet, but I hear great things about them. I rode a Roubaix with Futureshock and I think they have something with it. I just don't know if I'm up with the alloy post since my seat seems to suffer on longer rides. I don't think I need carbon, but I do like how they ride.

I road the Anyroad and we impressed with the ride. I'd probably swap tires, otherwise, I liked the upright ride and thought it'd be great on my commute. I don't know how to compare the Fact 9r carbon with the Giant composite. I read someone else say that Giant uses more resin and less carbon fiber for a more compliant frame and I don't know if I should read lesser quality into that.

I don't mind the flatbar, but I do feel it after long rides. But I don't have the ergonomic grips or end bars that come with the Sirrus.

I appreciate people's opinions. It's fun to read about bikes!

JonathanGennick 

Have you looked at gravel bikes? For example, at any of Salsa's offerings in that area?

Donsell

I have not. The shop that had the Anyroad is a salsa dealer, but they didn't have any gravel bikes in stock to ride. I'll read more about them though.

EL LUCHADOR

the 2018 diverge is a good looking bike. so is the anyroad.


No input for you except to say good luck with the decision. I do like seeing other clydes going with gravel bikes. I just built one for the road so I could put 37c slicks on it to better support my weight.


its a cromo frame though so kinda heavy, but oh man is it smooth.

jsigone

There are allot of nice gravel/all around bikes / CX in the 2-3k range. The problem is that most shops won't stock them for test rides. I think Salsa still makes the war bird.

If you're going to be on mixed trails, I'd say pony up for carbon or steel to take some of that high frequency gitter away. The tires and rims can only do so much, if you do go alum, you might have to resort to carbon bars and seat post to do the same thing. More for endurance comfort after a couple hours on the bike, it makes a difference.

Niner BSB Ultegra Jenson Bike > Bikes > Cyclocross & Gravel Bikes | Jenson USA

Niner RLT 9 Steel 2 Star Apex Bike > Bikes > Cyclocross & Gravel Bikes | Jenson USA

Donsell

The only aluminum bike I've considered so far is the Diverge Comp E5 with future shock. It should help with the vibration up front. I could switch out the seatpost with a carbon post to help with the rear vibration

But for the same price I'm wondering why I shouldn't just go with the Anyroad? Almost identical components, carbon, but no Future Shock.

jsigone

personally i'm a fan the look of big front triangles on 99% of road/cx/gravel bikes plus they are useful. The any road has the 29er mtb frame lines but with drop bars. kinda like the diy monstercross bikes from a decade ago. I Beg You, More MONSTERCROSS- Mtbr.com

pending frame size it could limits vertical bottle size selection and frame bags if you want to tour a bit.

The fit wise, the anyroad has a short reach and much longer head tube then any other bike in the class. This would be a very upright bike which goes back to the fitting of older monstercross MTB/CX hybrids. Likely bars and saddle would be even with bars or even a rise, pending on fit. 200 miles a week, sitting upright into the wind would kind suck and get old after a while. The head tube is a whole 2inches taller so there isn't an option to really lower the stem/bars without going to a negative stem. I'd rather have a shorter head tube length and add spacers as needed or remove spacers as I shrink my waistline and get more flexible.

Donsell

That is true, but it would make it a great commuter bike, and I'd have the drops if I'm fighting the wind. I'm leaning to the Diverge, though I want to wait until my LBS gets a 2018 to ride.

PatrickR400 

I ride a Diverge and it is a sweet bike. That being said, I could ride a Roubaix and it would still be a sweet bike. If the bike can survive cobbles, it can pretty much survive anything.

Personally I would keep the Roubaix, and slap S-Works Turbo tubeless tires on. Those are the tires I ride on and they are very nice. Also much cheaper than a new bike...

jsigone

Most shops won't get 2018's until Sept-December time frame. It all revolves around Interbike show in Vegas every year, September 20 - 22, 2017

Barrettscv 

I have a collection of Gravel Bikes and Road bikes.

Gravel bikes are awesome and necessary on gravel that is soft and inconsistent, but tend to be slower than Endurance bikes on chipseal and crushed limestone. When I ride a route that includes crushed limestone (like the KATY Trail) I'll use a Endurance or Cyclocross bike with a 700x32 sized slick, tubeless tire. Right now I'm using the 700x30 Schwalbe One, which is close to 32mm wide. These are fast and supple on most surfaces, as fast as most road bike tires. Many Endurance and all-road bikes will fit a tire this size.

I'm seriously considering the Black Mountain Road bike. See: https://blackmtncycles.com/frames/road-frames/

The bike offers room for 700x32 and the ride should be plush. I'll probably use two wheelsets, one with a slick tubeless tire and another with a fast rolling semi-slick tubeless for rides that include some soft and technical gravel. The package should cost less than $2000.

Donsell

That is an interesting thought. I could put 32s on the Roubaix and use it for my light trail bike.....

Well scratch that. It doesn't sound like I can go above 28 and then risk damaging the frame if I'd pick up a rock....

Donsell

I like their cross bike. I considered the steal Sequoia. I should give it a ride too.

jsigone

Kona has some nice steel options for fairly cheap for what you get on the complete builds

KONA BIKES | ROAD | STEEL ROAD | Wheelhouse
KONA BIKES | ROAD | ROVE | Rove ST

Donsell

Kona makes a good bike. I really liked the Jake the Snake from a build standpoint, but the shorter reach and taller stack of the Diverge fits me better.

PatrickR400 

Damaging the frame if you picked up a rock? I'm not sure I understand the concern.

Wide tires, disk brakes, and the 105 group set where the reasons for going for the Diverge. When I made the purchase, I got 700 X 32C Roubaix Pro tires installed. Now I ride on 700 X 28C tubeless tires, 85 psi in the back, 80 psi in the front and there is no perceivable tire deformation. I'm 259 lbs.

Donsell

This is the tread where it was discussed:

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...8mm-tires.html

Someone said it happened on a Ruby.

PatrickR400 

That thread mentions a rock hitting the inside of the fork. That can of course happen but I wonder if you can call it damage. Stuff will get thrown against the down tube or seat tube by rotating wheels, potentially marring the finish.

One real ugly thing I saw was mud sticking to the sides of tires and rubbing the paint off the inside of the fork, chain stays, or seat stays.